Cellobration of Antonio Lysy

Antonio Lysy, an artist of international stature and dedicated pedagogue, has performed as a soloist in major concert halls worldwide. He has appeared with such orchestras as the Royal Philharmonic and Philharmonia Orchestras of London, Camerata Academica of Salzburg, Zurich Tonhalle, the Zagreb Soloists, Orchestra di Padova e il Veneto, Israel Sinfonietta, the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, and Les Violons du Roi.

He has collaborated with distinguished conductors including Yuri Temirkanov, Charles Dutoit, Sir Yehudi Menuhin, Sandor Vegh, and Kees Bakels, and continues to perform regularly both as a solo, and chamber music artist. Lysy enjoys exploring the versatility of the cello’s voice, from Baroque to electric, and is committed to projects which enrich his diverse interests in music.

The currently touring show, “Te Amo, Argentina”, a personal journey through the heart and soul of Argentina’s fascinating culture, featuring solo cello and chamber works, dance, film, and spoken word, has met with widespread acclaim. Tango dancers Miriam Larici and Leonardo Barrionuevo and the Te Amo, Argentina Ensemble, join Lysy in this inspiring multimedia experience. Te Amo, Argentina is based on Lysy’s CD – “Antonio Lysy at the Broad – Music From Argentina”, featuring the works of Piazzolla, Golijov, Ginastera, Bragato, and Schifrin. This CD won a Latin Grammy Award ‘Best Classical Contemporary Composition’ for Pampas, a piece he commissioned from Lalo Schifrin. A recent review on Musicangle.com declares it “among the most beautiful recordings of cello and piano you are likely ever to hear”, and Absolute Sound recognized it as one of the 40 best recordings of all time.

Highlights of his recent work include an extraordinary recital, broadcast on live radio, celebrating Bach and the cello through performances on baroque, acoustic, and electric cellos at the Los Angeles County Museum of the Arts. A recent program with Les Violons du Roi in their new and fabulous hall in the heart of Quebec city, led “Le Soleil” to remark: “Antonio Lysy shone and enchanted his audience in an arrangement for cello and strings of Schubert’s Arpeggione”. He presented a multimedia concert with pianist and comedian Jean Marchand, showcasing the history of his Carlo Tononi cello on its the 300th birthday. He has performed in recitals in New York and Los Angeles with pianist Rascal Rogé, and enjoys frequent collaborations with distinguished fellow faculty at UCLA’s Royce and Schoenberg Hall, and Colburn’s Zipper Hall.

Other recent performances include a solo Bach recital at the Uffizi Library in Florence, Italy; two programs with Vladimir Ashkenazy and his sons in Lugano, Switzerland; a concerto performance with the American Youth Symphony Orchestra in Los Angeles; and touring the States, Canada, Italy, and Argentina with the show ‘Te Amo, Argentina’.

His love and commitment to chamber music is demonstrated by his musical directorship and founding in 1989, of the annual Incontri in Terra di Siena Chamber Music Festival in Tuscany, Italy (www.itslafoce.org). Distinguished artists from around the globe take part in this idyllic summer retreat, which is crowned by performances in medieval fortresses, palazzi, and churches in the Southern Tuscan region.

Lysy has recorded extensively for CBC Radio, BBC Radio, Classic FM, and other European radio networks. His live recording of solo cello repertoire by Bach, Berio, Henze, and Walton, released on the Pelléas label, is “…some of the most beautiful Bach ever heard” (– La Presse, Montréal). In addition, he has recorded for the Claves, Dinemec Classics, and Fonè labels. In January 2012, he recorded and premiered the reworked Eric Zeisl cello concerto with the UCLA Philharmonia directed by Neal Stulberg. This cd is available on the Yarlung Records label.

In the summer of 2003 Lysy accepted the position of Professor of Cello at University of California, Los Angeles. Prior to moving to the United States, he held a professorship at McGill University in Montréal. He was also, for a number of years, visiting professor at the International Menuhin Music Academy in Switzerland. He now resides with his family in Los Angeles.

Antonio Lysy, leader

Jaewon Ahn

Jason Aiello

Jonathan Beard

Chris Cho

Leon Cho

Sarah Clark

Samea Derrick

Benji Fleischacker

Isabelle Fromme

Haley Hedegard

Jeffrey Ho

Ishiwari Joshi

Da Yoon Kang

Jamie Kang

Killian Kelly

Dahwi Kim

Joseph Kim

Luke Kim

Youjin Ko

Sarah Koo

Jasmine Lam

Jasmine Lau

Edward Li

Jennifer Li

Annabelle Lo

Michelle Mao

Oshagan Merjanian

Naohiro Nadahara

Jason Pegis

Kaya Ralls

Alexandra Roedder

Minnie Seo

Niall Taro Ferguson

Matthew Tong

Charlie Tyler

Peter Walsh

Bryan West

Caleb Yang

Christopher Ye

Jocelyn Yeh